Weimar Vets improve record SPORTS Remember to thank a Veteran and Serviceman every day! $1.00 Vol. 162, No. 26 coloradocountycitizen.com Wednesday, June 26, 2019 20 pages, 3 inserts COLORADO RIVER SKULL CREEK at Columbus BANKFULL 30 Landowners seek to intervene in suit FLOOD 34 BY VINCE LEIBOWITZ Environmental and Re- against the company landowners, “have a jus- STAGE 11.33 [email protected] mediation filed a peti- relating to conditions at ticiable interest in this For background stories and The Citizen’s extensive inves- tion to intervene in the its site and pollution of lawsuit, which, among tigative work on Skull Creek FLOW 1421 AUSTIN—Thirty-one ongoing lawsuit by the Skull Creek. other things, seeks to and Inland Environmental, landowners along Skull state and Lower Colo- According to the pe- Levels are as of 10:20 a.m. June 25, 2019 visit http://bit.ly/SkullCreek Creek and near Inland rado River Authority tition to intervene, the ■ LANDOWNERS, 7 AROUND THE COUNTY SUPPORTING THE SCHOOLHOUSE Fireworks, pet parade Rice Medical recognized set for Rice Medical Center in Eagle Lake was recently July 4 in recognized for providing high quality care. 6 Columbus COLUMBUS – The annual APPLAUSE Independence Day Celebration hosted by the Columbus Cham- ber of Commerce will begin at 6 pm at the Columbus Munici- pal Golf Course, featuring food vendors, live music, family fun and of course fireworks. The annual George Fox Chil- dren and Pets Parade starts at Citizen | Vince Leibowitz 7:30 p.m.. Prizes will be award- An Oakland resident examines the wares up for silent auction at Sunday’s Oakland Schoolhouse Art Fair and ed for Best Individuals, Best Barbecue Cookoff . Among items up for auction were a rubbing of the historical marker commemorating the Families and Best Pets. Chil- Oakland Normal School. dren and families must regis- ter on-site before the parade line-up begins at 7:15. Fair, cookoff raises funds to ■ FIREWORKS, 7 restore Oakland Normal School Youth-In-Action Columbus graduate BY VINCE LEIBOWITZ Cedarcrest [email protected] Evan Herchek recently got to experience residents Washington, D.C. thanks OAKLAND—Dozens gath- to San Bernard Electric ered at Prairie Point Plaza ask court Cooperative. 8 in Oakland Sunday for the Oakland Schoolhouse Art Fair and Barbecue Cookoff, to take which organizers hope to ARTS & LEISURE make an annual event to over road raise funds and support for a building believed to be BY VINCE LEIBOWITZ the last surviving building [email protected] of the old Oakland Normal School. COLUMBUS—Residents of The Oakland Normal Cedarcrest Subdivision in School was founded in the Citizen | Vince Leibowitz northern Colorado County 1882 and later led by Rob- H.O. “Butch” Strunk (standing) instructs barbecue cookoff judges as Ken asked the Colorado County ert L. Smith, the last Afri- Baker (right front), known to many as the unoffi cial mayor of Oakland, Commissioners on Monday to examines one of the ribs being judged. can American to serve in take over and pave Oak Crest the Texas Legislature prior The Oakland Normal Sunday’s event was at- Drive leading in to the sub- to the modern era; he rep- School was organized to tended by many, and fea- division Monday during the resented Colorado County train black teachers, and tured vendors serving court’s regular meeting. and later became a federal held summer sessions an- up everything from jams Cedarcrest is a private sub- marshall, and founder of nually that were attended by and jellies to paintings, division, managed by the Ce- the Farmer’s Improvement teachers from across South as well as the barbecue darcrest HOA, including 88 Watercolor on Society. Texas. cookoff. display ■ CEDAR CREST, 9 A new watercolor exhibit opens Saturday at Live TXDOT SAYS Oak Art Center. 11 Altair Roadside Park to be closed BY VINCE LEIBOWITZ ring, public information offi- ALSO INSIDE [email protected] cer for the Texas Department A Look Back .............................................3 of Transportation’s Yoakum ALTAIR—An iconic fea- District Office. Applause .................................................5 ture of the Colorado County The park, which is actually Around The County ..................................6 landscape is soon to face the a Texas Department of Trans- wrecking ball, having become portation roadside picnic area, Church Page ..........................................17 a victim of changing times will be closed, along with all Classifi eds .............................................19 and changing habits. such picnic areas across the The Altair Roadside Park, lo- state, due to the fact that they Hunting & Fishing .................................20 cated on Texas 71 just north of are no longer being utilized the intersection of US 90 and for their original purpose,” Citizen | Vince Leibowitz Sports ...................................................12 Stone and concrete picnic tables, constructed in the 1930s by the former Texas 71 in Altair, will soon said Kuykendall-Herring. Texas Highway Department, are shown at Altair Roadside Park on Monday. Obituaries .........................................2, 10 be shuttered and all of its fix- The Altair Roadside Park The park, slated for demolition by the Texas Department of Transportation tures—including the iconic was constructed sometime in Police & Courts ......................................15 as part of a statewide elimination of the small picnic areas along Texas road- stone picnic tables—removed, ways, was in overgrown condition this week, with knee-high weeds sur- Viewpoints .............................................4 said Lucea’n Kuykendall-Her- ■ ALTAIR, 7 rounding most of the park. 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Box 548 • 2024 Highway 71 • Columbus, TX 78934 • (979) 732-2304 • [email protected] 2 The Colorado County Citizen Wednesday, June 26, 2019 OBITUARIES SEE MORE OBITUARIES, 10 FAICHTINGER Upon returning state- Gina Alexander and PINEHURST Mary Catherine (Via- side, they moved to Ea- Gina’s children Austin Robert “Bobby” Cejka of clovsky) Faichtinger, 77, gle Lake, Texas, had two and Abby; and sister Pinehurst passed away in of Altair, passed away more children, Dean Charlene Viaclovsky. Houston at the age of 72. on June 17, 2019 at M.D. and Becky. Mary began She was preceded He was born to Adolph A. Anderson Center in working as the secretary in death by her fa- and Lola Lilly (Warschak) Houston. In her final to the superintendent ther Charles John Vi- Cejka on November 12, days, she was surround- for the Rice Consolidat- aclovsky and mother 1946 in Columbus, Texas. ed by her family in a lov- ed Independent School Frances Teresa Prazek He married Brenda Gala- ing testament to all she District, where she Viaclovsky. way on October 9, 1981. meant to them. worked until she retired Nurturing and Bobby served as an In- She was born on with 35 years of service. kind, she has left a vestigative Sergeant with December 8, 1941 to madly in love. Alvin After retirement, Mary gaping hole in our the Harris County Sher- Bobby is survived by Charles and Frances Vi- joined the U.S. Navy and remained very active, hearts that will never iff’s Office for 33 years his wife Brenda Cejka, aclovsky of Wallis. She proposed to her by mail volunteering with the be filled, but we feel before retiring. Law en- step-son Jason Oldham attended Guardian An- while deployed in Ha- Ladies Auxiliary (Pink truly blessed to have forcement was his life. and wife Bonnie and gel Catholic School and waii. On September 15, Ladies) at the Eagle Lake had her in our lives Bobby never wanted to do grandchildren Amber graduated from Wallis 1963, they were married Hospital and working for so long. anything but be a police Oldham, Colton Barkley High School where she in Wallis and she fol- part-time at the Eagle A parish prayer ser- officer. He worked for a and Cameron Barkley. was a cheerleader. lowed him to his Naval Lake Drug Store. vice and rosary were couple of years at the Tex- A rosary was conduct- After high school, assignment at NAS Bar- Mary and Al enjoyed conducted June 20 as Department of Correc- ed June 21. Mary moved to Hous- ber’s Point on the island gardening, canning, at Henneke Funeral tions in Huntsville prior Funeral services were ton, Texas to begin her of Oahu in Hawaii. This and tending to her flow- Home. to moving to Houston and held Saturday, June 22 at career at TJ Bettis Com- was the beginning of ers. They also loved Funeral Services joining the HCSO. Henneke Funeral Home, pany as an adminis- their beautiful life to- attending many church were Friday at 10 a.m. Bobby enjoyed “LIFE” Columbus, with Deacon trative professional in gether, where their first picnics in the area to at St. Anthony Cath- first and foremost, his Doug Tromblee officiat- the financial field. She son, Michael, was born, enjoy some good polka olic Church, with Fa- giant schnauzers, camp- ing. was introduced to Alvin and where they thrilled music whenever they ther Augustine N. As- ing and traveling with Burial followed in St. Faichtinger by a mutual to return to celebrate could. They both were ante officiating. Brenda. He loved cruis- Anthony Catholic Ceme- friend at a dance.